Included here are the deserts in and around Mongolia including the Gobi Desert.

Mongolian Oases

Trees in Mongolia are mainly restricted to oases but most of these are now highly modified. The remaining natural remnants suggest they supported deciduous forest with species such as Acer turkestanicum, Celtis australis, Juglans fallax, Morus alba, Prunus divaricata and various Populus, Salix and Tamarix species including the endemic Tamarix juniperina (Tamaricaceae). On the Joshui River, which flows through the Alashan Desert, there is virtually an unbroken series of oases from Tingshin (Miaomu) to Tsongol. Populus euphratica stands occur along the edges of the river together with Elaeagnus angustifolia, Haloxylon ammondendron and tall thickets of Tamarix including T. juniperina. The tamarix trees are often festooned with clematis giving these forests an almost primeval look. The ground flora often includes many colourful flowers such as Glaux maritima, Gymnocarpus przewalski, Poacynum hendersonii and Sophora alopecuroides, but in the more marshy areas various reeds (Scirpus rufus, S. uniglumis) and rushes (Juncus articulatus, J. bufonius) predominated.

References

Gunin, P., Vostokova, E. A., Dorofeyuk, N. I., Tarasov, P. E. & Black, C. C. 1999. Vegetation Dynamics of Mongolia. Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Hilbig, W. 1995. The vegetation of Mongolia. SPB Academic Publishing, Amsterdam.

Walter, H. & Box, E. O. 1983. Deserts of Central Asia. In: Ecosystems of the World 5 - Temperate Deserts and Semi-Deserts. Ed. N. E. West. Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company.